Welcome to Camp
Crystal Lake Redwood. This season of American Horror Story takes a page from classic 80's slasher films and goes to summer camp.
Here is your official spoiler warning before we dive into the events of episode six - Episode 100.
American Horror Story is celebrating its 100th episode and I am hoping for a fantastic episode that ties in some of the previous seasons while still feeling like an episode of THIS season.
We start at a hotel that is giving me Cecil Hotel vibes. Richard Ramirez stayed at the Cecil Hotel in real life, and it is a hotel with a deadly history.
A woman is attempting to sleep but loud music is keeping her up. She decides to do something about it and goes to ask the other guest to turn it down. It's, naturally, Richard. He tells the lady that he can't turn it down because Billy Idol can only be played one way - full throttle. He looks her up and down with a smirk. He asks if she wants to see the sights and makes some sexual innuendo that tourist lady is super into (I get it, Zach Villa is attractive) but she demurs when he invites her inside and goes to leave. Richard grabs her and tries to pull her into the room. Jingles is there though and not at all into whatever Richard is up to. He wants to get some sleep. Richard lets her go and immediately starts complaining that Jingles is a drag now. It's been a year and Jingles is entirely over Richard's music, and definitely over seeing Richard kill people. Turns out that Jingles has been keeping count and Richard is up to eleven murders. He's haunted by the faces of those Richard has killed. Jingles looks exhausted. Richard reminds Jingles that it is Satan who gets to decide when they stop killing and that bad things will happen if Jingles bails.
We get a montage of Richard killing more victims while a visually drained Jingles looks on. This is definitely supposed to be the Cecil Hotel. I love that they are including actual parts of the real history.
We next see Richard and Jingles in a car. Richard runs into the corner store and Jingles take the opportunity to switch the music to something he enjoys a little better than Billy Idol - REO Speedwagon. He notices that Richard's face is on the cover of the newspapers and helpfully points this fact out to some ladies outside the store. Guess he found a way to deal with getting rid of Richard without making Satan angry. Richard exits to a group of people from the neighbourhood ready to apprehend him citizen's arrest style and he's entirely not here for it.
A chase ensues but the mob finally catches up with Richard and they tackle him and begin beating him. This is really freaking close to how Richard Ramirez was caught in real life (minus the whole Jingles thing, obviously). We see Jingles do a slowly drive by as all of this is going down and just keep going instead of helping Richard.
Back at Camp Redwood we see a tourist taking some photos. He has the unfortunate luck of running into Montana who is sunbathing in a bikini top and short shorts. She flirts with the tourist and stabs him when she gets close enough. The ghosts of the threesome group from the first episode is not happy about this turn of events but Xavier flounces down the dock and tells the 'old timers' to stop raining on their blood parade. He congratulates Montana on a murder well done, says he gets dibs on the next murder, and they start to make out. So, I guess being killed has made Xavier murderous now and apparently being a 'ghost' is really good for your skin because all of Xavier's burn marks are gone.
Margaret has done well for herself in the year that has passed. She has become rich enough to be profiled on the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous television show. She made her fortune in what is basically true crime tourism. She's bought up all of infamous properties such as John Wayne Gacy's house, Spahn Ranch, and Briarcliff Manor (aka the asylum from Asylum) and turned them into tourist attractions. We also learn that Trevor survived and is now married to Margaret. That marriage is going about as well as you would expect and Trevor is addicted to cocaine. Their marriage is volatile enough that they argue a lot and she threatens to kill him (because the darkness still lingers) and holds a knife to his throat. Trevor tells her to go ahead and stab him but make sure he is dead this time.
A flashback reveals that Trevor survived and he requests Margaret to come visit him. He, at first, plays along that Margaret was the victim and that Brooke is responsible for what is going on. He eventually fills her in on the fact that he remembers everything. He knows Margaret is responsible. He decided that Margaret was too rich and had access to too many lawyers for anyone to believe him. He proposes that she take care of him as his 'sugar momma' instead of him calling the police on her. This explains why he married her. It's Margaret who proposes marriage and it is just so that Trevor cannot testify against her.
Back in 1985, Trevor tells her that he wants out of the marriage. They argue and she throws in his face that he has nowhere to go. His only asset is his penis and that doesn't even work half the time thanks to his coke habit. They hit each other which turns into them having what is basically hate sex. They're interrupted by Margaret's assistant Courtney (played by Leslie Jordan). He has bad/good news (depends on how you look at it). Brooke has lost her last appeal and she's going to be executed. I am actually not surprised that Brooke was found guilty for this.
Brooke has been transferred to the execution facility. As luck would have it, Richard Ramirez is also being kept at this facility. She is marched past his cell and he laughs and says that he knew that he would see her again. He tells her that she should have just let him kill her in her apartment and save everyone the trouble. He expressed that Montana would be happy. Brooke is a bad ass now because she replies:
Richard retorts that Montana should be so lucky so he's still Satan's biggest fan.
Back at Camp Redwood, Montana and Xavier are going through their latest victims belongings to see what they might like to keep for themselves. Ray storms in angry about the mess they left at the docks. He apparently is the one who cleans up all the time but he's over it. He tells them that they cannot kill everyone who comes to the camp. Xavier and Montana are amused by this.
Rey reminds them that they don't know why they are stuck in this afterlife/purgatory. Xavier is entirely over it though. He feels like nothing they do really matters. He tried to be good and it got him nowhere.
Being good got him nowhere and being bad feels really good so he's going to keep killing people. Xavier being murdered really messed with the kind person he was. He even lumps Ray in with the original 'ghosts' and offers these parting words:
They found a newspaper in among the camper's belongings and Montana celebrates Brooke's upcoming execution where Rey is not as jazzed about it. Montana feels like Brooke is getting what she deserves because she did, after all, murder her.
The guy Montana killed was there with his girlfriend and she comes up to the camp and rightfully wants to know who these weird people going through her stuff are. Ray tries to explain about Brooke but Xavier sneaks around and kills the poor woman. Ray is officially tired of their bullshit and he declares that he is not cleaning up after them anymore.
Brooke is sitting in her cell when she starts to hear Richard Ramirez's voice. He's rhapsodizing about the electric chair versus lethal injection. Richard would prefer the electric chair because the electricity running through his veins is very rock and roll. He points out that lethal injection actual hurts because it burns through your veins. He's almost taunting her and attempts to scare her. He offers to help though. Satan thinks she has potential and all she has to do is accept the help. Brooke's tells Richard to 'fuck off' though so she's still being smart.
Margaret and Courtney are having a company check in. She looks over the money coming in from the Lizzie Borden house and she wants an update on their purchase of the Ed Gein house. The purchase is not going well because, it turns out, that people are having issues with her turning these places of horror into something she is profiting off of. Margaret is angry about this. Courtney suggests selling the business because this is the third deal to fall through in the last few months. He feels they are at peak value but Margaret rejects this saying that murder has always sold well.
Trevor brings news of the murders happening at the camp. They've been discovered now that Ray isn't cleaning them up anymore. Courtney is worried about their liability if they still own the camp. Margaret, however, thinks it is the best news.
Jingles went and got himself a family since getting Richard arrested. He ran to Alaska, met a woman who seems to know everything about him but loves him anyway. They have a cute baby. His wife is really supportive and seems very kind. Jingles seems to have mellowed out. Family life is good for him. He works at a video rental store and is up for a promotion.
Margaret is holding a press conference. She is going to hold a concert at the camp. I am baffled. I am not sure how this is going to help anything but I guess people would be curious enough to purchase tickets. Chet hears this announced and wants to go kill Margaret. He is traumatized by his drowning death and wants revenge. Montana assures him that he'll get it.
Jingles sees the press conference on the news and realizes that he isn't affected by it anymore. He's finally free. He's happy and smiling. This can only end badly.
Richard has a pretty red head girl visit him. She brings news of the concert being held at Camp Redwood. Billy Idol is going to be performing. Red is going to go and record it and sneak the tape in for Richard. He's annoyed. He realizes that the 80's are ending and soon people like himself and Billy Idol will fade into the background. He needs to reinvent himself, just like musicians do, in order to secure his legacy.
Brooke is being taken to be executed. Her last meal looks rather boring but she does have a Snapple. As she walks by Richard's cell he offers her another chance for Satan's help. She gives him the finger. Richard performs some kind of ritual where he talks to Satan. He beseeches Satan to give him a chance at immortality and in exchange Richard will ensure to kill a lot of people.
They ask Brooke if she has any last words. Brooke uses the opportunity to talk to Margaret who she knows is watching through the two way mirror. She restates her innocence and tells Margaret that she'll burn in hell for watching her die. She is strapped down and the injection is given and she is pronounced dead. Margaret is not pleased because she found Brooke's death boring. Margaret is the worst.
Richard's plea to Satan works. A guard is, I guess, possessed by the devil. His eyes flash black and he goes and lets Richard out of his cell.
Back a Videoshack, an upset customer is returning some videos. It seems that Jingles has been switching out horror movies people are renting with non violent movies. He feels they are too violent and not good for people to watch. That's .... not at all hypocritical. He gets off work and goes home. He walks in excited to share that he got a copy of Who Framed Roger Rabbit for them to watch but his wife doesn't answer. The house has an eerie feeling to it. Jingles walks through the house and into the bedroom where he finds his wife murdered and the window open (an obvious calling card of Richard's). Jingles runs to the baby's room and discovers the baby in the closet in a car seat with a note that states 'Satan will have his vengeance'. Jingles drops the baby off with his wife's sister. He tells her that her sister is dead. He thought he could be free and have a life, but darkness will always be with him. He asks her to tell his kid that he loved him more than anything. He explains that he needs to leave to protect him and to go end 'this'. He is obviously going back to Camp Redwood to kill Richard. As he leaves the keys in his hand jingle.
The executioner wheels Brooke's body into what looks like a morgue. The executioner injects Brooke's body with something that causes her to spring awake. The executioner removes their hood and reveals it was Donna. She, most likely, switched whatever chemicals Brooke was supposed to get with something that would just make her appear dead.
Our cast of characters are all heading back to Camp Redwood to what can only be a final battle. There are definite teams being formed and I predict the next few episodes are going to be them fighting among themselves. I am particularly looking to see what happens when Richard and Jingles face off again.
Until next week ..... don't marry a serial killer.
